Most people get one prom night.
Ray Svejnoha had to wait more than 80 years for his.
The 100-year-old World War II veteran finally attended his first prom this month, thanks to a group of students from Matea Valley High School who decided it was time to give him the milestone he missed.
Svejnoha never made it to prom as a teenager because he deployed for military service just months before graduation during World War II.
“I have had surprises before but nothing like this. These young people did it,” Svejnoha told NBC.
Students from the school’s Tech Connect service club had been regularly visiting Svejnoha at Independence Village, where he lives. Over time, the visits turned into a friendship.
Then they learned something surprising: Ray had never gone to prom.
So the students got to work.
They invited Svejnoha to attend their May 8 prom and local businesses stepped in to help, donating everything from his tuxedo and flowers to transportation for the big night.
“He always wanted to go to prom, and I am happy we were able to give him the experience,” student Medha Kotagiri said.
“We have known Ray for a couple of months now…Ray…deserves this,” added Prakriti Kashya.
And for Svejnoha, the night became more than just a dance. It was proof that the next generation might not deserve all the criticism it gets.
“You hear a lot of bad things about teenagers, well, this is a good thing about them,” Svejnoha said.
Read more from NBC News.
